As Mom and Autistic Daughter Wait in Line at the Water Park, 2 Kids Behave SO Shockingly She Rushes Over to Their Mom

No parent expects perfect behavior from other people's kids all the time--especially outside--but you do want to see kids TRYING to be civil to one another. But that wasn't what Stephanie Skaggs saw at Kentucky Kingdom, an amusement and water park in Louisville this past weekend. Instead the mom saw a ton of line-cutting and pushing and shoving as kids tried to go down the water slide first.

That was especially painful for Skaggs' 5-year-old daughter, Baylee. She's autistic and non-verbal, and her mom was trying to teach her about waiting her turn patiently by breaking it down into steps. Like many special needs kids, routine is important to the little girl. When there are unexpected changes to the routine feels like the end of the world to Baylee, her mom wrote on Facebook. Even with practice "it's difficult, especially in public when people, especially other children do not understand why she is reacting the way she does. I dread it. Not what she will do but what other people will," wrote Skaggs.

That's why she was so surprised when a little girl told Baylee to go ahead of her after several kids had jumped the line. Skaggs praised the little girl for her kindness. A while later, a little boy did the same thing--let Baylee take a turn before him. Skaggs also praised the boy. But when she saw them together, she realized that they were siblings.

That's when Skaggs knew she had to go talk to their mom. "When I came to you and told you about my experience with your kids and told you that they were super kids and you are doing a great job, you said 'I don't know about that.' Well, mom, you are. A small gesture like theirs may not seem like much. But I promise it was," Skaggs writes.

And while those kids had helped Baylee avoid a meltdown, what mattered more is that their empathy gave Skaggs hope for the future. "When I looked at those sweet little faces, filled with pride as I praised them, it made me happy to know that more moms are raising their children the way you are!"

You can read her entire post below. It's so worth knowing that kind kids exist--and are being recognized for their sweet gestures.